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SONY OPEN TENNISMarch 29, 2014Bob BryanMike BryanMIAMI, FLORIDA BRYAN‑BRYAN/Cabal‑Farah THE MODERATOR: 96th career tour title, third here at the Sony Open, and they now have won 13 matches in a row having started in Delray Beach and Indian Wells, and also the first time they have done an Indian Wells/Miami back to back, which they have now done in all of the Masters 1000s, doing a back to back. Q. I guess it's like a good day for the old people. Two 32‑year‑old women finalists, 1 and 2 in the world, and you old guys are still kicking butt. Talk about what this means to you. You haven't won here in a while, guys. BOB BRYAN: Yeah, this is incredible for us, especially, you know, to win in such a hostile environment. There was a lot of Colombians out there. They were bringing the noise. I told, you know, Juan and Robert they should play Davis Cup here, because the Colombian fans are crazy, they're loud, they had the flags out. We're pumped. I now live in South Florida, so, you know, I'm starting to get a lot of family over here and a lot of friends. Our ticket requests were huge. It's great to put on a good show for them and hoist this trophy. It's been a while. Q. More fun to kind of shut them up? No, there were some "USAs" going on. BOB BRYAN: We had some support, too. MIKE BRYAN: They were bringing it toward the end of that first set, but I think the U.S. fans got clipped by the South Americans. BOB BRYAN: Barely, though. MIKE BRYAN: It was close. It was an amazing atmosphere. Probably 75% full after, you know, the women's final, which is rare. They were into it. Tennis was high quality. The breaker could have gone either way. I don't think there was a mini break until 11‑10 in the breaker. I think it hinged on that first set. It was good to win that first set. Q. Same thing with the women. Four set points or five? MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, we were down‑‑ BOB BRYAN: Quite a few. I can't remember. It's a blur. Q. You guys had very nice words for Juan and Robert. Are you guys friends personally? BOB BRYAN: Yeah, they are two good guys. They don't pull any crap on the court. They are very fair. They're well‑liked in the locker room. It's good for doubles to have two guys from the same country doing well. They get a lot of attention in their country. You know, the spotlight shines brighter on doubles when teams like that do well. It was like that with Paes and Bhupathi. They elevated the popularity of doubles when they were playing well. So, you know, we're obviously excited to see them, you know, playing with such energy and enthusiasm. They are going to have a great year. Q. How do you feel about many people from Colombia yelling? MIKE BRYAN: We kind of knew it was going to be like that. We had seen their other match against Harrison and Sock, and Harrison and Sock got outrooted by 100%. They were both Americans. You know, it just makes it more fun. They were giving it, "Get up," to the crowd. We were. It made everyone play better, you know. It heightened the intensity the end of the first set, and, you know, it's a match we're going to remember for a long time just because it was‑‑ you know, the crowd was so special out there. It was fun. Q. In that first set, how did you prepare mentally to play the tiebreak? That tiebreak was very tough, very close, and how did you prepare? What did you say to each other before playing it? BOB BRYAN: In matches like that, it's just one point at a time. You've got to really refocus, you know. You lose a point, the Colombians go crazy. You can't drop your head at any stage. You've got to kind of come together with your partner, your brother, say positive things and get rid of any of those thoughts from the last point, and, you know, try to hit the best serve you can. If they make the return, try to dig out a volley. It's as simple as that. Hopefully it adds up. Breakers can go either way. It's almost like a coin flip. As well as, you know, our career has gone, when we get into a super tiebreaker or breakers we're sometimes 50/50. You just hope it goes your way. Q. Tell us about your family lives. You guys are brothers. You guys play together. Doesn't that get a little too much? BOB BRYAN: I think when you're twins it doesn't get too much. I think if we were normal brothers, I think this career, traveling 40 weeks a year and spending all these long days together would have broke our relationship down, but the twin bond is so strong that it can weather this sort of ‑‑what is it? MIKE BRYAN: Freak nature (smiling)? BOB BRYAN: It's freaky that two people would spend this much time together throughout their whole life, you know. As professionals, it wouldn't have worked. You see even like the tightest teams, like Knowles/Nestor break up after 10 years. But I think we're going to shut it down together and, you know, if I got injured or he got injured we'd retire at the same time. We're not going to go looking for other partners. Right? (Smiling and looking at Mike.) Q. With doubles, every tournament I have been to, the stands on the smaller courts are really packed, but they don't get televised very often. Do you think there is anything that could be done from the ATP end to boost the visibility of doubles? MIKE BRYAN: Yeah. I mean, today would have been nice if the match was at least live streaming on the Internet, especially that one, a big final. It's a Masters 1000, two marquee teams, and it was great tennis. People‑‑ you know, a lot of our fans back at home, especially our parents, are like ‑‑they would love to have watched the match. It doesn't have to be on Tennis Channel or ESPN or anything, but just to have a live stream. Having the cameras rolling would have been nice. BOB BRYAN: It's criminal there is not a camera in the back just rolling, live stream taping. It doesn't take much. I'll pay for the videotape. You know, I'll put my friend back there with the camera or whatever. But it's absolutely criminal that there isn't a live streaming at least on the Internet. That's the least this tournament and the ATP could do. MIKE BRYAN: It's tough in the U.S. to have that go out to a major network, but I know a TV station in Colombia would have picked it up. BOB BRYAN: I mean, we're not asking for much. Just a live stream. MIKE BRYAN: That's the first thing that could be done that will popularize doubles even more. That's what we need from, you know, whoever, ATP, but that's the first thing and then take it from there. BOB BRYAN: I think that has to be done at the, you know, player council levels. You know, we have to have a vote to get that mandatory, especially Masters 1000 level. So we will take it ‑‑I have to talk to our player reps, and we've got to get a vote because it just‑‑ you know, doubles gets swept under the rug a little too often, especially in times like this where it could help out the popularity. Q. Just FYI, there was a story written where the WTA coverage was lopsided, and in Indian Wells Larry Ellison apparently kicked in some extra for WTA, so maybe there is an Uncle Larry out there who really loves doubles? BOB BRYAN: Indian Wells does a great job. We should model the doubles coverage around what Larry Ellison and that tournament does. They have an announcer on every court giving great bios, pumping up the crowd, and it seems like they are usually very good about streaming it on the Internet. Tennis Channel covered the finals, and there were a lot of doubles matches on center court, which is always big for our game. Just try to get more tournaments behind it. Q. Colombia, would you like to go play there? MIKE BRYAN: Seems like they are really passionate about the game. I mean, it would be fun to play those guys in an exhibition down there or even play the tournament. It's a little bit of a dicey time for us being right after Wimbledon, but maybe before we're done we're coming down. Right, Bob? BOB BRYAN: Put that in blood (smiling). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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